"You're the guy who took out Machamp in one hit with a Pikachu?" the scar-faced man asked with a cold snort.
Lin Hao stopped and gave him a casual glance. "Move. You're blocking my way to the braised pork."
The scar-faced man's expression darkened instantly. "You've got some nerve, kid!" He jabbed a finger at Lin Hao. "Remember my name! I'm Reggie! This afternoon, I'll show you what real terror looks like!"
May clutched the hem of Lin Hao's shirt. "Lin Hao, he's one of the favorites to win! I heard his main Rock-type Pokémon is really hard to handle. Its defenses are almost impossible to break!"
"Oh." Lin Hao nodded halfheartedly, walked straight around him, and strode toward the restaurant.
"Just you wait! I'll break every bone in your body this afternoon!" Reggie cursed behind him.
Half an hour later, Lin Hao lounged in a roomy chair in the contestants' dining hall. Heaping plates of food covered the table, including five large plates of braised pork alone.
"Pika!" Pikachu held a drumstick and happily gnawed away.
May sat opposite him, unable to eat a single bite. "You're really not worried?" She kept flipping through her notes. "Even specially trained Water-type Pokémon can't put a dent in Reggie's Rhydon! No matter how strong your Pikachu is, it'll break its hands punching rock!"
"Who said I was using Pikachu?" Lin Hao stuffed another piece of meat into his mouth.
"Then what are you using?"
"You'll find out this afternoon," Lin Hao mumbled around his mouthful. "Quiet. Let me enjoy my food."
At three that afternoon, the stands around Battle Arena Two at the Indigo Plateau were once again packed. That bizarre shoulder throw in the morning had already made Lin Hao the center of attention.
With his hands in his pockets, Lin Hao ambled onto the platform. Across from him, Reggie sneered arrogantly. "Your luck ends here, kid!" Reggie flung out a Poké Ball. "Go! Rhydon, crush him!"
Bang! Encased in thick rock armor, Rhydon landed heavily on the field, making the ground shake violently. "Roar!" Rhydon threw back its head and bellowed, sending a blast of air surging toward them.
The stands erupted. "It's Rhydon! Reggie's ace!"
"That Lin Hao guy is in for it now! Pikachu's physical attacks won't even scratch Rhydon!"
The commentator roared at the top of his lungs, "Reggie has sent out his strongest Pokémon! How will Lin Hao respond?"
Inside the system space, Groudon roared furiously: "(Roar! A Rock-type? Let me out! I'll teach it what real rock is!)"
Ho-Oh scoffed: "(Master's clothes have gotten dirty. Let me out so I can burn it to ashes!)"
Lin Hao replied inwardly: "(Both of you, shut up. Charizard, come out and put in some overtime. Make it quick. I still need to go back and sleep.)"
"Roar! (At your command, Master!)" Charizard answered with a low growl inside the system space.
Back in the real world, Lin Hao pressed the button on his Poké Ball. "Charizard, come out and warm up."
"Roar!" A deafening draconic bellow rang out as an enormous Charizard descended onto the field, flames surging around its body! The flame on its tail glowed an eerie blue-white, and waves of scorching heat swept across the entire arena.
The spectators in the front row could practically feel their eyebrows being singed.
The commentator was dumbstruck. At the edge of the field, May frantically clawed at her hair. "Lin Hao! Have you lost your mind!" The heat had curled her eyebrows. "Type? It's at a complete type disadvantage!"
Across the field, Reggie doubled over with laughter. "Hahaha! You're actually using Charizard against my Rhydon?" He pointed at Lin Hao mockingly. "Are you such an idiot that you don't even understand basic type matchups?"
"You talk too much." Lin Hao folded his arms. "Charizard, spit out some fire."
"Charizard! You're asking to die!" Reggie shouted. "Rhydon, use your strongest Stone Edge! Knock it down!"
"Roar!" Rhydon smashed a heavy fist into the ground. Countless huge, jagged rocks shot up and hurtled straight toward Charizard.
In the VIP box, Steven stared at the field. "A Fire-type against a Rock-type. Far too reckless."
"Steven, look at the color of those flames." Cynthia's voice held a note of astonishment.
On the field, Charizard couldn't even be bothered to dodge the massive rocks raining toward it. Billowing waves of heat streamed from its nostrils before it opened its enormous maw. Boom! Blue-white flames gathered into a thick pillar of fire and erupted outward!
The pillar of fire struck the jagged rocks head-on. What happened next shattered everything the audience thought they knew. The instant the hard rocks touched the blue-white flames, they melted into red-hot liquid magma without holding out for even a moment!
"What?!" Reggie cried out involuntarily.
The pillar of fire swallowed the rocks and blasted into Rhydon without losing any momentum.
"Roar!" Rhydon screamed in agony. Under that searing heat, its thick layer of rock armor actually began to melt!
Three seconds later, the flames dispersed. Rhydon stood rigidly in place, charred black and billowing dark smoke. With a thud, it collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
An overwhelming one-hit knockout despite the type disadvantage! The entire arena fell silent, and everyone stared at Lin Hao as though he were a monster.
"My goodness..." Even the commentator's voice trembled. "Charizard... defeated Rhydon? The heat of those flames... even melted the rocks!"
"Come back." Lin Hao recalled Charizard, turned, and leisurely walked off the platform.
May stood at the edge of the field, staring in a daze. She no longer even wanted to comment.
In the VIP box, Steven's face was filled with shock. "The temperature of that Charizard's flames is far beyond Elite Four level."
Cynthia licked her lips. "Just what is he hiding?"
That evening, Lin Hao lay on his bed watching television in the contestants' village when May hurriedly pushed the door open and burst in.
"Lin Hao, you're done for! Your opponent for the round of sixteen has been announced!" May cried, her face pale with alarm.
Lin Hao rolled over. "Who is it? Someone famous?"
"You're done for! Your opponent in the round of sixteen is that lunatic from the Dragon Tamer Family!" May clutched the roster.
Lin Hao yawned. "The Dragon Tamer Family? Did they book out all the seafood buffets?"
Before you continue